Hassock



.lilly z8, 1942.

J. K. TULLY 2,291,513

' HAssoCK Filed July 29, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 @i I0 3 17 2/ g 20 ESQ sw I l l i 23 I im I July' 28, 1942. J. K. TULLY HASSOCK F'iled July 29, 1939 2 Sl'LeelZS-SheekI 2 Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l HASSOCK of Illinois Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,226

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a hassock primarily intended for use in railway cars where the utmost comfort is desirable for travelers confined in the relatively limited space of a railway train for extended periods.

One object of the invention is the provision of a hassock constructed in such manner as to be resilient in one direction when used as a footrest, but relatively rigid in another direction for use as a stool or seat.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hassock having a handle incorporated in the construction thereof, for convenient handling, which provides a reinforcing frame embedded in the surface of the hassock secured in place by a covering upholstering the hassock, and which handle provides a footrest by means of which the hassock may be tilted to an angle such as to support the legs of the user, at which time the reinforcing handle takes substantially the full brunt of the load on the hassock.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of a hassock constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the` hassock taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the hassock taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1

and indicating in broken lines the tilted position of the hassock;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the filler block for the hasseck illustrating the method of re- :t

ceiving the reinforcing handle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the handle illustrating its relation to the filler block;

Fig. 6 is a View of the hassock in use as a footrest, showing it tilted at an angle to support the users legs; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the hassock turned en end, in which position it may be used as a seat.

In the drawings, IB represents a hassock having a filler block Il composed of a material resilient in a vertical direction for providing a soft cushon as a footrest, but relatively rigid in a longitudinal direction to afford sufficient stiffness to enable the hassock to be utilized as a ..2

stool or seat when turned on end. For this purpose, the block II is made of rubberized hair which is built up in horizontal layers, whereby the block is far less resilient in a direction parallel to the layers than it is in a direction perpendicular thereto. In the present instance, the ller block is comprised of a plurality of layers of rubberized hair disposed horizontally and having the fibres running transversely and the individual layers provided with corrugations running in a longitudinal direction and, since the Whole is integrated into a homogeneous mass by the rubberizing process, affords a plurality of tubular cells stiffening the block longitudinally but not affecting the resiliency thereof transversely in a vertical direction.` However, the filler block may take other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention-such, for instance, as a hollow box padded on the outer surfaces or any lightweight resilient material moulded into block form 0r composed of layers secured together; and it is, therefore, not desired to be limited to the particular filler block disclosed vexcept as hereinafter described. Further, the relative rigidity of the hasscck longitudinally may be varied to provide any degree of resilience desired sufficient to`give the stiffness required properly to afford the support necessary for use as a seat by merely regulating the thickness of and/or the density of the individual layers of the filler block.

As shown, the filler block is of rectangular form and of such height, when lying flat, as to provide a convenient footrest and of substantially chair height when turned on end to provide a seat or stool, as shown in Fig. '7. The filler block is provided with'a continuous U- shaped groove I2. as best shown in Fig. 1, extending across the bottom wall I3 and along such bottom Wall and having portions perpendicular thereto extending along one end wall I4 at opposite sides of each in parallel relation for the reception of a continuous tubular frame I5 shaped to t Within the groove 'I2 flush with the surfaces of the filler block and having vertical and horizontal portions 24 and 25, respectively, adapted'to fit Within the groove on the end and bottom walls respectively.

The frame I5 comprises a tubular bar bent to the required shape and having its ends joined at I6 to form a continuous closed loop engaging the block Il on the bottoml3 and one end wall I4 and extending above the top surface of the ller block at the end wall to provide a handhold I1. 'At the en'd wall I4 the overall height of the frame I5 from the fulcrum point at the oor to the handle I1 is less than the overall length of the hassock. The` `frame is securely held in place within the groove I2 by the upholstery I8 covering the hassock on all sides, and it will readily be seen that with the frame in place and the covering snugly engaging all sides of the filler block displacement of the frame is positively prevented. By the arrangement of the closed frame within the groove I 2 having portions at right angles one to the other, it will .be seen that such complemental shape of the groove and frame, in itself, will prevent displacement of the frame either laterally or longitudinally, so that the sole function of the covering i8 will be to hold the frame in the groove.

The covering I8, as shown, is made in six rectangular pieces corresponding to the individual faces of the hassock, but it can, of course, be made in any number of pieces desired. In practice, iive of the pieces are sewn together to form an envelop into which the ller block II, with the frame I5, is inserted and the sixth piece then sewn in place. The portion of the frame I5 within the covering I8 serves to give rigidity to the hassock and to prevent distortion of the iiller block while that portion of the frame disposed above the hassock affords a convenient footrest. The portion of the frame I5 extending above the hassock, comprising the footrest I'I, serves a dual purpose in that it provides a convenient handheld for moving the hassock about and also serves as a lever, when pressure is exerted thereagainst by the feet of a user, to rotate the hassock in a vertical plane about the lower front edge I9 as a pivot, thereby to cause the top surface 20 of the hassock to press upwardly against and support the calf of the leg, without muscular strain, as best shown in Fig. 6. It will be noted that merely by placing the feet on the footrest or handle member I1 the hassock, to all practical purposes, is rotated automatically to the tilted position most comfortable to the particular user-whether they be sitting erect or lounging, thus providing means for attaining the utmost comfort in any type of chair or seat.

When the hassock is tilted to the position shown in Fig. 6, it will be seen that the frame i5, by virtue of its shape, takes the greater portion of the load imposed on the hassock. The frame I5 rests on the floor at the fulcrum points 22 at the corner I9 of the hassock, 1and the portion 2| disposed in the cross-portion of the groove I 2 presses upwardly on the underside of the hassock as a component of the forwardly directed force on the handle I'I, thus supporting the legs on the surface 20. By the disposition of the handle II of less height than the length of the hassock, excessive pressure on the legs of a user resting on the top surface 2D is avoided, and the application of the least force required to tilt the hassock to the most comfortable position of rest and maintain that position is achieved; but

the handle I1 is of sufficient height to insure rotation of the hassock about the lower front corner I9 rather than a longitudinal bodily shifting of the hassock as foot pressure is applied to the handle I'I. When the hassock is disposed flat on the floor, at which time it may be used as a footrest, if desired, the frame I5 imposes no strain on the covering I8 since it is supported on the floor-through the covering, of courseand is prevented from being displaced longitudinally by the cross member 2| engaged in the corresponding portion of groove I2.

The hassock may be turned on its end I4, as shown in Fig. 6, at which time the opposite end 23 is disposed substantially at chair height and may be utilized as a seat; and it will be noted that the cross member 2I is disposed a vsuii'icient distance from that end to insure against any possibility of its being felt when the hassock is thus used.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a hassock which may be used either as a footrest or a leg rest, as desired, or as a stool which may be utilized as a seat and having multi-purpose means for handling, reinforcing and operating the hassock to desired positions of use.

What is claimed is:

1. A hassock comprising an oblong block relatively rigid longitudinally but resilient perpendicularly thereto and having a continuous U- shaped groove disposed on the bottom wall of the hassock and having portions disposed perpendicular thereto on an end Wall, a continuous closed frame member having portions at right angles adapted to fit within the groove on said bottom and end walls respectively and having a lever-handle portion extending above the top surface of the hassock, and a surface covering for the hassock adapted to hold said frame within said groove.

2. A hassock comprising an oblong block having a continuous U-shaped groove disposed on the bottom wall of the hassock and having portions disposed perpendicular thereto on an end wall, a continuous closed frame member having portions at right angles adapted to fit within the groove on said bottom and end Walls respectively and having a lever-handle portion extending above the top surface of the hassock, and a surface covering for the hassock adapted to hold said frame within said groove.

3. A hassock comprising an oblong block having a continuous U-shaped groove disposed on the bottom wall of the hassock `and having portions disposed perpendicular thereto on an end wall, a continuous closed frame member having portions at right angles adapted to t within the groove on said bottom and end walls respectively and having a lever-handle portion extending above the top surface of the hassock, and means retaining the frame in said groove.

4. A hassock comprising an oblong block having a continuous U-shaped groove disposed on the bottom wall of the hassock and having portions disposed perpendicular thereto on an end wall, a continuous closed frame .member having portions at right angles adapted to fit within the groove on said bottom and end walls respectively and having a lever-handle portion extending above the top surface of the hassock, and a surface covering for the hassock adapted to hold said frame within said groove, said frame member at said end wall being of less height than the length of said hassock.

5. A hassock comprising an oblong block having a continuous U-shaped groove disposed on the bottom wall of the hassock and having portions disposed perpendicular thereto on an end wall, a continuous closed frame member having portions at right angles adapted to i'lt within the groove on said bottom and end walls respectively and having a lever-handle portion extending above the top surface of the hassock, said frame member at said end wall being of less height than the length of said hassock, and means retaining the frame in said groove.

6. A hassock adapted to be tilted to provide an inclined supporting surface comprising a generally block-shaped cushion body, a frame reinforcing the body including a U-shaped portion eX- tending from the body and providing a footrest,

said footrest providing means for tilting the hassock, and means maintaining a relatively fixed relationship between said frame and body.

7. A hassock comprising a block having a continuous groove disposed on the bottom Wall and an end Wall, a continuous frame member having portions at right angles adapted to fit Within the groove on said bottom and end Walls and extending above the top surface of the hassock, and a surface covering for the hassock adapted to hold said frame within said groove.

8. A hassock comprising a block having a continuous groove disposed on the bottom Wall and an end Wall, a continuous frame member having portions at right angles adapted to fit Within the groove on said bottom and end walls and extending above the top surface of the hassock, and means retaining the frame in said groove.

9. A hassock adapted to be tilted to provide an inclined supporting surface comprising a body member having a continuous groove disposed on the undersurface thereof and on a surface perpendicular thereto, a frame member having portions at right angles adapted to iit respectively within the groove on said surfaces to'reinforce the member in the inclined position and including an integral footrest portion spaced from the body member adapted to provide means for tilting said member, and means retaining said frame member in the groove.

10. A hassock adapted to be tilted to provide an inclined supporting surface comprising a body member having a groove disposed on the undersurface thereof and a groove disposed on a surface perpendicular thereto, a frame member having portions at right angles adapted to t respectively within the grooves on said surfaces to reinforce the member in the inclined position and including an integral crossbar spaced from the body member to provide means for tilting said member, and means retaining the frame member in said grooves.

11. A hassock adapted to be tilted to provide an inclined suporting surface comprising a body member, a frame member embedded in the body member to reinforce such member and having an integral footrest portion in spaced relation to the body member adapted to provide means for tilting said hassock, and means for retaining the frame member in the body member.

JAMES K. TULLY. 

